The present invention relates to devices for storing magnetic tape cassettes.
More particularly, it relates to a device for storing magnetic tape cassettes, which has a housing and a slider insertable into the housing against a spring force and having locking members engaging tape reel hubs of a cassette stored in the device.
Devices of the above mentioned general type are also called storage containers and well known in the art. One of such devices is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3, 899,229. In this device the slider inserted in the housing is locked in the inserted position. It holds a cassette to be stored, which can be easily removed or exchanged in the removal position of the slider. In the removal position the slider siginificantly protrudes from the housing, while in the storage position the slider can be locked in the housing and can be unlocked by operating a button.
The storage containers of this type have been used for a long time for storing commercially available compact cassettes with freely accessible tape reel hubs. For preventing uncontrolled movements of the reel hubs and consequently also of the wound-up tape material when subjected to vibrations, storage containers with locking members have been developed. In a known device of this type rigid locking projections project from the slider and engage in the reel hubs of the compact cassette when it is located on the slider to secure them against rotation. However, closed magnetic tape cassettes cannot be placed on the slider having the rigidly mounted locking projections. For this reason the device is not suitable for storing digital cassettes which have completely closed wide faces.
The digital cassettes can be played back in playback apparatuses which are compatible with compact cassettes. The dimensions of the digital cassettes substantially correspond to the dimensions of the compact cassettes, so that storage of both cassettes in one storage system can be advantageous.